Greyhawk City

RJK's Unpublished City of Falcondun

2011-11-28T06:43:00.000-05:00

Okay, technically, I suppose, it should read: "City of Coasair".

Here is the eBay link to:
Robert Kuntz City of Falcondun unpublished manuscript aka the City of Greyhawk.

It states:

For auction: One (1) unpublished title from Robert J. Kuntz
City of Corsair-Falcondun
Subject: the City of Greyhawk project materials circa 1987 redeveloped
Design: Robert J. Kuntz, Gary Gygax
Product # manuscript copy #1 with Certificate of Authenticity
Copyright unpublished
Issues affecting condition: light creasing to some page edges
Rarity: near unique; I think only two or three of these were made
This is something pretty special. It's a copy of Rob's original manuscript for the City of Greyhawk which was redeveloped into the City of Falcondun. The manuscript was written in 1987-88 and when Gary left TSR, this project was shelved. Several years later Rob and Gary picked it up again with the intent of releasing through another publishing vehicle. It's over 110 pages long. There are also 15 pages of rudimentary computer maps that go with it, but there is no detailed city map to match up to the manuscript. A person wanting to use this in a campaign would have to create a city map from the detailed descriptions Rob provides. The roots of this manuscript go back to 1972, so it has the flavor of original Dungeons & Dragons while also incorporating the sensibility of the advanced game. It reads like an old friend.

It is a lovely piece of history. Sadly, a bit too pricy for moi.

I will gladly take any and all donations to my Auction & Research Fund. If I can win it, you know I will post it here for all.

Here are some more pictures to encourage you!

Ciao!
Grendelwulf

Greyhawk City in World of Greyhawk

2011-09-23T13:00:00.000-04:00

BLACK type = text found in both 1980 folio & 1983 box
GREEN type = text specific to 1980 folio
ORANGE type = text specific to 1983 box

BRIEF HISTORY

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF EVENTS

CY 1 - Overking crowned in Rauxes; frontiers of Great Kingdom reach Greyhawk City
CY 498 - C. of Urnst becomes Palatinate under D. of Urnst; Greyhawk becomes a Free City

[CY = Common Year]

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RACES INHABITING THE FLANAESS

Greyhawk: OSfb - This indicates an racial admixture of predominant Oeridian with a strong Suel strain and a weak Flan and Baklunish mix.

RACES & NATIONAL DRESS

Oeridians. The Oeridians have skin tones ranging from tan to olive. They have hair which runs the gamut of color from honey blonde to black, although brown and reddish brown are most common. Likewise, eye coloration is highly variable, although brown and gray are frequently seen in individuals. Unmixed Oeridians, despite claims of the Great Kingdom, are mm common in Furyondy, Perrenland, the Shield Lands, and in the east and south in North Province, Medegia, and Chnwal and Sunndi.

Oeridians typically favor checks and plaids. Aerdi and Nyrondal houses tend to wear plaids, while the southern and western Oeridians favor checks, often of a diamond pattern or similar variation from the standard square. Clothing tends toward tight-legged trousers, close-fitting upper garments, and capes or cloaks.

Suloise. The fleeing Suel folk were scattered in a broadcast fashion across the Flanaess, so that most tended to mix with other groups. The Suel race is very fair-skinned, some being almost albino. They have light red, yellow, blond, or platinum blonde hair. Eye color varies from pale blue or violet through deep blue, with gray occasionally occurring, Curly to kinky hair is common. The inhabitants of the Duchy of Ernst are nearly of pure Suel race. The Frost, Ice and Snow Barbarians are perfect specimens of unmixed Suloise blood; the nearly albinoid Snow Barbarians are the best example. The Suel folk are quite predominant in the island groups off the eastern coast of the Flariaess as well as an Tilvanot Peninsula, in the Scarlet Brotherhood Fegion. Those bands that migrated into the vast Amedio Jungle and Hepmonaland are so altered as to be no longer typical of the race; they are tan to brown with heavy freckling.

Suloise folk have long used solid colors. Aristocratic houses have two or more such colors in their dress, so parti-colored garments are not uncommon. Similarly, the Suel people tend to favor display of emblems or tokens on their garments, typically of a contrasting color to their basic one. Dress was originally loose pantaloons topped by a baggy blouse. This form of dress has been changed to meet the needs of the varying climates, so the northern Suloise barbarians wear furs and skin garments, while those in the southern-most area have replaced the blouse with vest-like upper wear.

Flannae. The Flan race have a bronze-colored complexion. This varies from a lighter, almost copper shade to a very dark tone which is deepest brown. Eye color is commonly dark brown, black, brown, or amber (in declining order of occurrence). Hair coloration is black, brown-black, dark brown, or brown. Also, Flannae tend to have wavy or curly hair. People of the duchy of Tenh are pure Flan, proud of their bronze color. Geoff and Sterich, despite mixture, show strong Flan racial influence. The Rovers of the Barrens are of the copper-toned sort of Flannae, although the western tribes show the golden skin color of the Baklunish due to interbreeding with the Wolf Nomad tribes. The people of the Hold of Stone Fist and the citizens of the Theocracy of the Pale are primarily hybrids, the former Flan/Suel, the latter Flan/Oeridian. The inhabitants of the Pale are particularly handsome.

Flannae once wore brightly-hued body paints, with yellow ochre and vermilion being the favorites. While the Rovers of the Barrens still use considerable body painting (where their high boots, loincloth and chest and arm leather don't cover them), the more civilized Flan dress in the mode currently in fashionable in their portion of the continent. Garments, however, tend to be of solid primary colors, with very bright hues predominant.

Baklunish. The Baklunish people have golden-hued skin tones. Eye color is commonly gray-green or green, with gray uncommon and hazel rare. Hair color ranges from blueblack to dark brown. Ekbir, the Tiger Nomads, Ull, and Zeif typify the straight Baklunish strain. The Wolf Nomads are intermarried with the Rovers of the Barrens, so they show the darker Flan blood. Ket is so mixed with Suel and Oeridian blood as to be the least typical of the Baklunish race, for the people of Ket are pale yellow or golden-brown or tan in skin color, with virtually any hair color possible save the lightest yellows and reds. Both the Paynim tribes and Tusmit show occasional admixture, also.

Baklunish peoples are of two sorts. The northern branch favors bright patterns and gaudy colors. They wear gowns and robes, or else short breeks and flowing coats. The poorer folk even wear gaudy prints, although their garments are typically a one-piece coverall with whatever additional garb they can add. The southern branch likes particolors of a more pastel hue. Their dress is complex and full of many puffs and sashes when adorned for special events. They commonly wear rough hide and cloth when traveling or at war, with shields and banners showing clan colors.

The inmixture of Oeridian and Suel is expressed as (SO) in the list. The original Flannae stock shows up with either Oeridian or Suloise or both as a coppery or bronze overtone. Oeridian and Baklunish develops a fairly light complexion, but the skin coloration is true yellow. A hybrid of Baklunish and Flannae gives a golden-copper or golden-bronze color which is possibly the most attractive complexion of any of the admixtures of the basic races.

In general, the skin color of an individual is of no particular importance. The dark Flan complexion shows up quite often in most nations. By contrast, the nobles of the Great Kingdom are proud of being light-skinned, just as the rulers of Tenh are overly conscious of the supposed superiority of their deep bronze color. In the central region of the Flanaess, from western Urnst Duchy to Geoff, there is little heed paid to either skin color or racial type, whether human or demi-human (or even humanoid, in some places). The main exception to this is the demihuman kingdoms, where humankind is judged inferior, especially in Celene.

POLITICAL DIVISIONS

GREYHAWK, (Free) CITY OF

His Solemn Authority, the Lord Mayor of Greyhawk - Nerof Gasgol (Thief, 10th level)

Population: 53,000 / 58,000 (city),
70,000+ / 75,000 (total, including surrounding area)
Demi-humans: Some
Humanoids: Some
Resources: silver, electrum, gold, platinum, gems (I-IV)

Greyhawk was established as a trading post on the Selintan River during the period of early migrations. As it flourished, a local warlord built a small keep on the hills above the village called Greyhawk which had sprung up around the trading center, extracting taxes from the trade and occasionally raiding caravans (particularly those coming with silver ingots found in the burial mounds of the Cairn Hills). This petty noble soon became quite rich and powerful and as’sumed the title of Landgraf of Selintan. Greyhawk and the power of the new Landgraf grew rapidly thereafter, and his son and heir, Ganz, was wed to the daughter of the Gynarch (Despotrix) of Hardby, a sorceress of no small repute. Their descendants ruled a growing domain which rose to the considerable heights c. 375 CY under the rule of Zagig Yragerne (the so-called Mad Archmage). It was Zagig who built the sprawling Castle Greyhawk (now a ruin) and poured funds into the City of Greyhawk in order to make it into the “Gem of the Flanaess.” His reign was bizarre in many other ways, and it came as no surprise when it was reported that Zagig Yragerne had mysteriously vanished after years of rule when no change or aging could be detected. The castle was abandoned, supposedly due to a terrible curse upon the place, but the City proper continued to flourish. In 498 CY it was proclaimed a free and independent city, ruling a territory from Hardby on the Wooly Bay to the Nyr Dyv, between the eastern folds of the Cairn Hills and the Gnarley forest, including much of what is now the northern section of the Wild Coast region. These holdings have been lost over the intervening decades, and a decline in trade seemed certain to turn the place into a backwater, save for recent events. Several years ago a series of treasure troves was discovered in or near Greyhawk castle. Immense wealth began flowing into the city, and artisans and mercenaries began flocking to Greyhawk due to this boom. Local lords used this influx of hard money to revitalize the city, and it again rules a considerable portion of the area, claiming all of the land from Nyr Dyv to the Neen River where it joins the Selitan, including the mines in the Cairn Hills. The Despotrix of Hardby now pays tribute to Greyhawk to avoid being absorbed in the growing city state once again.

Greyhawk is ruled by its Lord Mayor, this individual chosen by the Directing Oligarchy. The latter body is composed of the Captain-General of the Watch (Fighter, 12th level), Constable (Fighter, 14th level), the Guildmaster of Thieves (16th level), the Guildmaster of Assassins (14th level), and various representatives of the Society of Magi, Merchants and Traders Union, Artisans League, and Clerical leaders. The total number of the Directors ranges from 12 to 18. (For greater detail see CITY OF GREYHAWK, to be published by TSR.)

GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES

CAIRN HILLS: The northward-thrusting arm of the Abbor-Alz (q.v.) is known as the Caim Hills. These hills surround Midbay on Nyr Dyv and form the borderland between territory claimed by Greyhawk City and that of the Duchy of Umst. Several thousand gnomes dwell in the central portion of the Cairn Hills, halflings enjoy its lower northern slopes, while many dwawenfolk live in the area where it meets the Abbor-Alz and the hills become young mountains. In the hinterland below Nyr Dyv's Midbay, where the hills are very rugged, there have been strange burial sites discovered from time to time. These rich finds are of a people unknown even to the demi-humans, evidently predating them! Discoverers returned with harrowing tales of horrid guardians, death, and worse, but carried back ingots of precious metal, gems, and other treasures as well. The discovery of these burial sites gave the hills their name, and also make them a target for many foolhardy adventurers. There are no settlements east of the marshes around the Upper and Lower Neen Rivers until the eastern edges of the hills are reached.

GNARLEY FOREST
Population: 12,000
Demi-humans: Sylvan Elves (7,000), Gnomes (3,000)others
Humanoids: Some

Parts of the Gnarley Forest are claimed by Celene, Dyvers, Verbobonc, and Greyhawk. Most is generally considered as part of the Wild Coast region, however, and the inhabitants of these woodlands are free-spirited-folk, so no formal government is ever likely to hold sway as long as there are deep woods to shelter resisters. The Viscount of Verbobonc is well liked by the folk dwelling in northeastern portions of the Gnarley, while the Queen of Celene is favored by those in the south. The forest is home to many fierce creatures as well, and many humanoid bands rove about seeking to murder and loot. These invaders work their way up from the Pomarj, through the Suss and Welkwood. Some come via the mountains and hills from the north.

Woolly Bay: The wag who named this terminus of the Sea of Geamat and made it stick is lost to history, but the appellation is not inappropriate. The small cogs which move up and down the Wild Coast are as often pirate as merchant. Considerable traffic moves through this area, from the west and from Greyhawk. Shipping rounds the Pomarj or Onnwal to or from the Sea of Gearnat, going east or west to or from Woolly Bay. Elredd, Fax, Safeton, and Hardby are all port towns, and most vessels can negotiate the Selintan to Greyhawk City, and the lighter craft can venture all the way to Nyr Dyv beyond. Some unscrupulous captains still put in at the humanoid-controlled town of Highport to trade.

NYR DYV (Lake of Unknown Depths): This body of water is the largest fresh water lake known to us, although legends and tales report a veritable sea far to the west, if such stories can be believed. Much commerce plies the waters of the lake, for Nyr Dyv has many navigable inlets (Artonsamay, Veng, and Velverdyva Rivers) and outlets (the broad Nesser River, and the Selintan to a lesser extent). Its central position combines with these river routes to make it the busiest body of water in or around the Flanaess. The cities of Admundfort, Radigast, Leukish, Dyvers, and even Greyhawk rely heavily upon this mercantile shipping. Squadrons of warships move continually about its surface to keep raiders to a minimum and combat occasional predatory water creatures as well.

One of the most unusual features of the Lake of Unknown Depths is the people who make their home upon great barges. These folk travel about trading, fishing, and generally earning their entire livelihood upon the bounty of Nyr Dyv; for unlike Lake Quag which sometimes freezes over much of its surface, and Whyestil which is cold and unwholesome in winter, Nyr Dyv’s southern shores remain relatively pleasant year long, and there these bargees winter. Being both clever at barter and trade and able fighters as well, these folk are seldom molested. They are said to be skillful thieves and pirates by some, but such charges are unproven, although quite possible, and are ardently denied by the bargees. Calling themselves the Rhennee, the lake folk can be found in all waters - rivers and lakes which connect to Nyr Dyv - navigable by their barges, but always returning to Nyr Dyv in winter.

Ery River: A tributary of the Selintan which flows south of Greyhawk City.

Selintan River: A relatively broad and deep channeled outlet of the western Nyr Dyv, it flows past Greyhawk City into Woolly Bay, and is plied by considerable traffic.

ADVENTURES ON THE WORLD OF GREYHAWK

QUEST OF THE MIST GOLEM

Fifteen years ago, the city of Greyhawk (or another city of the central Flanaess) was plagued by a series of strange disappearances among the youth of the noble families. The children simply disappeared at night, never to be seen again, though sometimes they were replaced by simulacrums that committed vile blasphemies and had to be destroyed. After investigation both magical and mundane, the city magistrate determined that the wizard Murq was behind these awful outrages. (His exact purpose was never ascertained.) When a grim and determined group of high-level guardsmen was sent to apprehend Murq, he had already fled, leaving behind only another simulacrum that was killed vowing vengeance upon the magistrate and the city.

The magician Murq and his outrages have almost been forgotten. Recently, however, the respected magistrate’s sleep has been invaded by evil dreams. In these nightmares, mad Murq appears surrounded by a cold fen, threatening the magistrate and the city with doom. He boasts of having found an ancient volume of great power, whose secrets are enabling the magic-user to create a mist golem. This creature, Murq claims, can slay others, but cannot itself he slain. When the stars are right, the golem shall be finished. Then it shall be sent to kill; first the magistrate, then anyone it can find, until everyone is slain or driven out of the city.

The court magicians, clerics and astrologers have analyzed these dreams, Murq’s threats, and the appearance of the area from which he “broadcasts” (including the configuration of the sky behind the wizatd). They have consulted their histories and star charts, and communed with Celestian. All have come to the conclusion that Murq’s threats could be quite reaI, and if they are, then the mist golem will be completed in only 63 nights. They have pinpointed the source of the dreams as somewhere near the headwaters of the Dulsi River, in the Cold Marshes.

For the sake of the magistrate, and indeed the whole city, Murq’s revenge must be thwarted. A group of adventurers (the player characters) has been asked to take the job of tracking down the renegade wizard and foiling his plans before the mist golem can be completed. If they are successful, they will receive a large reward, as well as whatever else they can pick up from evil encounters along the way.

The first part of the journey will be relatively easy, as the characters make their way across the civilized Kingdom of Furyondy to the town of Crockport, on Whyestil Lake. However, from there on the adventurers will be traveling in wild territory. Going up the Dulsi River by boat may seem fastest, but it is too dangerous, as this would be sure to attract the attention of the evil creatures of Iuz. The party will have to travel north by land, avoiding or defeating humanoid bands from the northern Vesve Forest, the scouts and spies of Iuz, and bold Wolf Nomads. Then there is the perilous passage through the Howling Hills: the eastern portion is a spawning ground of evil creatures for Iuz, and the west is the sacred burial ground of the savage and cunning Wolf Nomads. If these barriers are passed, there remains the frigid and monster-ridden Cold Marshes at the end of the trail.

Murq himself is guarded by trolls, gnolls and invisible stalkers. Even if the wizard is defeated before the 63rd night, the party must still return to the South to claim its reward.

It is up to the Dungeon Master to create encounters, Murq and the mist golem, keeping in mind the relative character level and experience of his or her players.

Greyhawk City in Horsemen of the Apocalypse

2011-09-13T13:00:00.000-04:00

Twenty-three years after its first mention in The Dragon #9, here is the most Gygax has written (at least in a single article) about Greyhawk City. It is a good reference, constructively and historically.

Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Essays on Roleplaying, June 2000
Edited by Jim Dietz

TO FORGE A FANTASY WORLD

GREYHAWK’S CREATION

* * * * * * *

Well and good. The players were happy, except now and then the bold adventurers needed a place to go to sell off loot, seek the services of mages or clerics, as well as for a change of pace. In short, the players wanted a large community setting where they could manage special needs of their characters, and a place for those same swashbucklers to encounter the darker denizens of a city, experience other challenges quite different from those of underground dungeons. Where else, it seemed, than a city of the same name as the castle. So the City of Greyhawk sprung up as a single piece of graph paper around the same time that level four of the castle dungeon complex was being developed.

Only very gross details of the place were developed, save for the specific ones that the PCs (Player Characters) frequented. Thus there were about a dozen inns and taverns that had developed floor plans, inhabitants, and so forth. There were a score or so other locations that were likewise detailed – several temples, a wizard’s tower, the “Sages’ Guild”, the “Mercenaries Brotherhood”, a few arms & armor dealers, merchant shops, and of course moneychangers and jewelers. The wizard was never very helpful, and that was a role that was most enjoyable for the DM to assume. Eventually an irate monk (played by Terry Kuntz) dared to paint that curmudgeony spell-worker’s tower with red and white barber-pole strips. Of course the wizard took this in stride and styled himself the “Striped Mage of Greyhawk” thereafter. Another of the more amusing locations, this one of the merchant sort, was the “Mystical Trader” run by thieves who offered spurious magic items for sale, meantime doing the best to purloin the real ones possessed by the unsuspecting players. Naturally, this established changed locations frequently, and the proprietors altered their appearance with each removal.

Two major adventuring areas were thus solidly in play early on 1973. There were the castle ruins and its dungeons and there was the city, with key places that players’ characters would likely visit indicated by color: red for a tavern or inn, gold for a money changer or gemner, gray for a weapon and arms dealer, green for a merchant, blue for a temple, purple for the place of a potent wizard, etc. Other areas around the city were developed on the spot as the need arose. As a matter of fact, all of the adventures in the City of Greyhawk were “winged”, created from whole cloth on the spot, for being so immersed in the game it was quite easy to create exciting encounters, and play character roles suitable for such a fantasy city. The many players now active – out of some 30 total, 12 to 20 would typically show up for a play session – loved this. Even though the castle dungeon levels were deeper, the challenges greater, the rewards richer, proportionally more time was spent in “city adventuring.”

This was initially surprising, as the lure of the hidden underground mazes and the many perils of the “wilderness” had been the primary interest of players. Now, with the mazes of the city before them, and the many strange encounters possible therein, the group began to focus on the urban setting about half the time. To manage this, this single map for the City of Greyhawk became four, and there was greater detailing of important areas thereon as a mnemonic device for the DM. Was the frantic pace of development thus reduced, the players’ demands lessened, their need for places to adventure sated? Of course not.

The original band of bold adventures then recalled their derring-do in the “wilderness” (the old, generic mapboard for outdoor travel and action) and decided to venture away from castle ruins, dungeons, and city to see what lay in the land around. With colored pencils at hand and a sheet of plain paper, the region in which the City of Greyhawk lay was born in a night, enhanced in but a few more days’ time. There were many features to explore. In the great lake to the north were both monsters and piratical foes. To the south was an ever-growing borderland where brigands and savage creatures lurked in hills and forests. Eastward were swamps, and past western steppes through which a mighty river flowed were mountains. All those places too were rife with threatening things. On the land were little hamlets and villages as well, places to stop, rest, re-supply, and throw an adventure in to the bargain as well. All of this remained undetailed – special encounters were not written up. A table with random encounters served where the imagination of the Dungeon Master failed. I was pleased the players accepted my efforts with verve. In fact the rather limited region provided thus for their exploits might well have served for many months and could have been further developed at a moderate pace as they ventured further in one direction or another, save for one thing. Three of the most able and active of the players’ characters were removed from the vicinity, carried far away indeed.

The few small states that lay around the City of Greyhawk were based on the medieval model, logical neighbors for a large, free city such as Greyhawk. Having read plenty of books dealing with the history, culture, and society of the Middle Ages, this was no problem. Here a strong kingdom, but with tumultuous marches bordering it. There a county palatine, and in the hinterlands robber barons and bandit lords. This was done randomly, based on terrain. If the geography was "favorable", than a feudal state was located in such a spot. Wild forests, marshes, great hills too were locations in which the outlaws, thieves, and worse lurked.

* * * * * * *

Greyhawk City in The Dragon #102 & #107: Advert & Review

2011-09-07T13:00:00.000-04:00

The Dragon #102, October 1985

Realms of role playing

Let’s start pushing the pendulum the other way

by Gary Gygax

Gord: More to come!

Gord of Greyhawk has adventures in other places besides these Splendid Pages. What's this, you ask? I shall explain . . . .

As those of you who read "At Moonset Blackcat Comes" in issue #100 are aware, there are books on the way which are all about this young thief. Well, Gentle Readers, in addition to Saga of Old City (scheduled for release in November) and its sequel, Artifact of Evil (January 1986), there is more! DRAGON® Magazine is, after all, a gaming journal, and this Indefatigable Key-pounder can't take up its space with stories of Gord and Associates as they go about their affairs in that strange city and its environs in probability and time. There are more adventures to be told than those chronicled in the two abovementioned books, and these tales will be appearing in AMAZING® Stories Magazine.

In case you can't find AMAZING Stories at your local newsstand, don't despair. The TSR subscription department is ready and able to take your order well in time for you to receive the May 1986 issue, which will contain The Strange Occurrence on Odd Alley, a story of about 15,000 words. Gord and his companion Chert stumble into something unexpected, and when the tale is concluded, the duo is off on yet another rollick. What's this, you say? Some devious device to snare us? But of course! There is a sequel to "Odd Alley" in the typewriter even now, and if the Beneficent Editor of AMAZING Stories will but smile upon it, you will be reading that bit of action and adventure in a subsequent issue as well.

So don't forget to get your copy of the May issue. Subscription orders should be sent to TSR, Inc., P.O. Box 72089, Chicago IL 60690. Be sure to provide us with your complete name and mailing address, tell us what you want, and include a check or money order in the amount of $9.00 (or $11.00 if you are paying in Canadian funds) for a one-year subscription. Be forewarned that the May issue is mailed out well in advance of that particular month, but if you get your money to us by the end of 1985, that issue will certainly be among the six bimonthly magazines you will receive.

==================================================

Dragon #107, March 1986

The role of books

The latest in SF and fantasy literature for gamers

Book reviews by John C. Bunnell

* * * * * * *

SAGA OF OLD CITY
Gary Gygax
TSR, Inc. 0-88038-257-0 $3.95

Over the years, fantasy aficionados have begun to refer to sword-and-sorcery tales - those featuring brawny Conanesque heroes, lots of bloody combat scenes, and a few surprises in their plots - as a lesser grade of novel, unworthy of serious scrutiny. Saga of Old City is a book intended to turn that criticism inside out, and it succeeds remarkably well in doing so.

In effect, Gary Gygax has written two books at once: one is the personal chronicles of Gord of Greyhawk, thief and adventurer extraordinaire; the other is an almost scholarly treatise on Gord's world, rich in details of medieval lifestyles and of the natural flora and fauna native to Gord's homelands.

Both elements of the novel are skillfully produced. Gord's adventures begin with petty intrigues among Greyhawk's thieves and beggars, and grow consistently larger in scope as Gord becomes more adept at his craft. There are plenty of hair-raising duels and escapes, and enough variety is provided so that repetitiveness is no problem whatsoever.

The portrait of the world of Greyhawk is also thorough and incisive. The city of Greyhawk is drawn in considerable detail (though there is no map of it, not even in general - a pity), and readers are eventually given a well-guided tour of the surrounding regions, including woodlands, waterways, bandit colonies, and open countryside. A variety of lifestyles are described, ranging from those of the wealthiest folk to those of the lowliest classes. Economics, political systems, tribal marriage customs, and combat styles are all discussed at one point or another.

Where Saga of Old City treads most tenuously is in its effort to combine these distinctive matters into a single novel. At times, the two elements seem to work against each other, calling for different and not entirely compatible prose styles and producing occasionally unpredictable pacing. The result is that the novel has a rambling quality to it not unlike that of its hero's travels - a fact some readers may find a bit unsettling.

Clearly, however, the book is invaluable reading for AD&D game players, who will recognize elements of the game behind much of the tale and gain all kinds of insights about its designer's views on how game should be played. As a stylebook for aspiring DMs, Saga of Old City is unique. As a first novel, it is both ambitious and more than partially successful.

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Greyhawk City in The Dragon #101: Errata

2011-08-31T13:00:00.000-04:00

I admit, this isn't directly about Greyhawk City per se, but it is errata for the World of Greyhawk box set and it does concern population numbers for cities within the realm.

The Dragon #101, September 1985

Update from the chief

About the past, the present, and a bit of the future

by Gary Gygax

* * * * * * *

Greyhawk Update: There is an error on page 3 of the Glossography in the WORLD OF GREYHAWKTM Fantasy Game Setting. It slipped in because information was being picked up from the old booklet, and some of it should have been updated first. Although the inaccuracy is not major, those Interested Parties desirous of the true population range of settlements will be advised well if they make the following changes:

Settlement      Population                  Dice
   town        1,500 - 9,500        (3d6 + 1) x 500
   city          12,000 - 96,000     (12d8) x 1,000

Urban Area: A town or city will have suburbs which are a part of the greater community. To determine the number of people in these lesser settlements, simply roll a six-sided die. The result is the total number of additional, suburban residents expressed as a percentage, i.e. 10% to 60%) of the population of the urban center.

For example, a town of 6,500 residents is found to have a suburban population equal to 40% of the town proper, and 40% of 6,500 is 2,600. Obviously, this is not another town unto itself, so there are at least two other communities on the outskirts of the town. Since the town is average in size, it would be safe to assume that there is a nearby village of 900 residents, another of 700, and a pair of hamlets of about 300 population each. This totals 2,200. The remainder of the area residents (400) are assumed to be spread in individual dwellings and smaller-than-thorp clusters throughout the radius of the area.

* * * * * * *

Greyhawk City in The Dragon #100: Gord the Rogue

2011-08-29T13:00:00.000-04:00

It had been five years after Greyhawk City was first mentioned as an upcoming product. We were given our first glimpse of Greyhawk City through the eyes of Gord the Rogue. Yay! It was something afterall. Plus, we got another Gygax article following it: Dragonchess!

No, I am not posting the entire Gord story here. Go get your own copy.

Dragon #100, December 1982

At Moonset Blackcat Comes

A Tale of Gord of Greyhawk

by Gary Gygax

Introduction

ONCE upon a time in the mythical city of Greyhawk there lived a young urchin known as Gord. His life and adventures, from slum waif to beggar-apprentice, from thief to deposer of deities, are told in a new series of novels which TSR will publish during the next two years. The initial work, Saga of Old City, will be available in November. The second book, Artifact of Evil, is planned for release in early 1986.

DRAGON® Magazine herewith presents, for your amusement and edification, a short story about Gord of Greyhawk. The action takes place in the fabulous City itself, at a time when Gord's initial indoctrination to the world at large is over and before he sets off on his first real quest. Thus, the story is an interim piece which fills the gap between the two novels mentioned above. In the story, you will meet both Gord and his bosom friend, Chert. Only after completing Saga of Old City, and prior to the writing of this tale, did I notice the similarity between this pair of doughty adventurers and Fritz Leiber's famous characters Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. I have great personal admiration for Fritz Leiber and his renowned Swords & Sorcery duo. But, the similarities notwithstanding, I trust that you will also notice the distinct differences between the pairs of protagonists. I myself have been "flattered" too often by imitators to accept aping as a sincere form of flattery. . . .

At the time of this story, Gord is about twenty-one years of age and his barbarian comrade Chert is but a year or two older. They are both typical young adults - not dissimilar to what I was and what you will be/are/were at such an age. Think about and remember that, please. Times, circumstances, and technology change - but people don't. The tale involves fun, adventure, and a sprinkling of the swordplay and sorcerous doings so necessary to any effort in this genre. There occurs herein a learning experience which will stand Our Hero in good stead later in his life. In the meantime, there is some High Excitement to be experienced.

Return with me now to those thrilling days of neverwhen, as heroes set about their derring-do and spellworkers cast their nets of magic, and a certain arch-mage learns that . . .

* * * * * * *

Greyhawk City in The Dragon #55: Hang tight!

2011-08-27T13:00:00.000-04:00

Déjà vu revistited! This old wound still hurts when it rains. Well, it was a lot they were planning afterall. So much to hope for, I cannot help but wonder if it would have been as successful as we dreamt it could be.

The Dragon #55, November 1981

More 'Meat' For Greyhawk

by Gary Gygax

* * * * * * *

Not much magical ink has flowed from cockatrice quill to parchment for this column for a year now. Truth be known, a combination of other demands, a bout of illness, and sheer procrastination are responsible for the hiatus. At GenCon XIV, however, I had the opportunity to talk with many of you good folks again, and a message came out loud and clear. It is high time that I got busy and finished the TEMPLE OF ELEMENTAL EVIL module and started producing regular information regarding the WORLD OF GREYHAWK Fantasy World Setting.

* * * * * * *

Finally, I had heartening news recently. Rob Kuntz, after a long stint away from AD&D gaming (reputedly due to a case of reveling in royalty income) has again returned to the creative fold. Being first one of the original participants in my Greyhawk campaign, and eventually its co-DM, Rob is eminently qualified to assist in the production of the storehouse of material and information which you are asking for. Rob and I have sat down several times over the past few weeks to discuss how we should go about this production in order to assure an orderly and useful flow of new things. Here is the tentative list we are now aiming at:

A. Regular WORLD OF GREYHAWK game information There are few "pure" racial groups extant on the Flanaess, via the 'Sorcerer's Scroll' column — you have the first here!

B. Completion of the CITY OF GREYHAWK map and as is its wont, has industriously intermixed in the central regions gazetteer. Rob, Terry Kuntz, and Eric Shook are now at work on the project.

C. Detailed, smaller-scale maps of important areas of the Flanaess, complete with important residents and some encounters. The same team has ruled off the world map, and as soon as CITY OF GREYHAWK is finished, I expect this project to move ahead with force.

D. Miniatures rules for large-scale battles between the states of Oerth — in limbo now, although Steve Carpenter of Minifigs has mentioned that he is working on possible rules for this use.

E. GREYHAWK CASTLE & DUNGEONS production at this point, this is only in a very general discussion stage, because of the other projects and the fact that the existing is only suitable for use by Rob and I. (As with most extensive dungeon complexes, much is developed and kept in the head due to actual play, and some areas are so difficult as to be impossible for those not used to our DM style.) So, initial work is unlikely to begin on this effort until sometime late in 1982.

* * * * * * *

Greyhawk City in The Dragon #37: Mapping

2011-08-23T13:00:00.000-04:00

The Dragon #37, May 1980
From The Sorcerer's Scroll

Greyhawk: The Shape of the World

by Gary Gygax©

* * * * * * *

Much of the original activity in the Greyhawk Campaign came in the huge City of Greyhawk. My initial map was only an 8½" x 11" sheet of graph paper, but this was soon enlarged to a four-times size. Even that was too small, so extra, large-scale sections were done up to supplement the main map. I have now gone to what amounts to about four-game-maps size to show the whole of the place in fair detail. The mapping isn't complete, and only a few of the most outstanding places are noted, as there is yet many months of work left before the design will be in shape to submit to TSR's Product Development Department. Sometime in 1981 or 1982, though, you should see a giant map and gazetteer for the City of Greyhawk being offered for sale. The gazetteer will detail the deities of the place not otherwise dealt with in modules or the like, by the way, and readers will learn more about "Old Iuz," the current menace from the state of that name, as well as know who Ralishaz is, why Hextor is bad news in combat, and so on.

While that project is yet a ways off, modules of the World of Greyhawk are currently in the works. Skip Williams is working on my original outline for Shadowland, and from what I've seen so far, we should be able to have a final product out this year. The module will be an adventure on the Plane of Shadow - perhaps that should be Quasi-plane of Shadow. Other such modules are also in the hopper.

As I'd mentioned in a previous column, Steve Marsh sent me a wealth of material on various planes, just as I was getting my own creative processes going. At first I envisioned a long-distance exchange with manuscripts eventually going back and forth between us. Now Steve will be coming to work for TSR this summer for a couple of months or so, and I have hope that he and I can work up general outlines and hammer out details, so that only one exchange of materials will be needed for each piece.

Because of this, there might be as many as ten World of Greyhawk modules based on the planes by the end of 1981 or mid-82. Much depends on Steve and me, but the needs of the Kindly Publisher must also be considered. If you are really hot to see these scenarios, start asking for them. Customer pressure does get back to us via retailers and wholesalers. In fact, sometimes it is hard to tell them from the fans, for their inquiries soon become demands after a missed deadline or two. I'll get back to demands a bit later.

One whole piece of the "World" remains to be covered, and from what input I receive, it is perhaps the most important sector. It is the dungeons under Greyhawk Castle. It might seem that that would be the easiest of all to put into production. Not so! About the time Dungeons & Dragons was published, the dungeons under the ruined castle consisted of only 13 levels down and a couple of extra on the sides. As the group of players increased, and the level of experience for each climbed, upper levels of the dungeon were sacked, word got around on what to avoid, etc. That series was pretty much sacrificed.

Rob Kuntz joined me as co-DM of the Greyhawk Campaign, and he took over doing new levels after I'd done about two dozen. Greyhawk then had about 50 various levels. As my involvement with TSR grew more demanding of my time, Rob assumed the major role as DM, and naturally the campaign altered in thrust and shape. Soon he was actually the sole DM, as I had the Temple of Elemental Evil campaign going. Eventually, Rob decided that he couldn't shape the "World" beyond the City of Greyhawk area and turned the whole back to me.

The Temple campaign was far more detailed in all respects, for it dealt with not only a dungeon, but had the village nearby, several towns and states involved in the scheme of events. Likewise, its inhabitants were drawn from AD&D. It was not too difficult to put the Village of Hommlet into shape for publication. The Temple of Elemental Evil is a slightly different case, however, for I used some random dungeon generation methods as a test of the systems when I put the design together. I am, therefore, doing a major rework on it, and so you now know why the Temple is so late in coming.

In light of that, consider what will have to be done to Greyhawk Castle to put it into shape for general publication. Both Rob and I liked to "wing it" as much as possible, so as to have flexibility and to tie in past events. Think of over four dozen level maps with partial matrices, skimpy notes, cryptic symbols and areas erased or penciled over due to destructive actions! The whole 50 levels or thereabouts form a cohesive dungeon, of course, so that means to undertake the project, I must sit down and handle it all together, with as few breaks as possible, in order to reflect the general oneness. This will eventually be done, yes indeed! But I don't dare begin at this time. . . .

Before the dungeons of Castle Greyhawk are dusted off and construction begins anew, the rough manuscript for T2, Temple of Elemental Evil, must be finalized. With the very good words I've heard about the Village of Hommlet offering, I'm under considerable pressure to get T2 out - but in a form comparable to T1, so there will be much agonizing and rewriting. Then, Rob Kuntz has the reworked Lost Caverns module which must be finalized also. It was used for a MDG tournament a few years ago at WinterCon, and the scenario is very good. We want to get it into print as soon as possible. As with the Temple, we have general demands for more modules of superior quality. TSR's design staff is looking for and working on modules of introductory and intermediate level for all of our roleplaying games. Without the Greyhawk dungeons, players will soon have a whole spectrum of adventures to select from. The pressure is to get out what has been begun, not to begin new projects of awesome scope.

To sum it all up, the World of Greyhawk project will go on for several years, with the initial maps and Gazetteer complemented by rules for miniature figure recreation of the warfare of the place, plus a line of figurines from MiniFigs in the near future. Next will come a series of special modules - one this year, and then many more through the next couple of years. The City of Greyhawk might make a 1981 publication date, certainly 1982, and about the same time the series which will eventually represent the whole of the Dungeons of Castle Greyhawk will begin. If all goes well, there might be an add-on map or two, and there might also be additional dungeon/campaign sets similar to the T-Series. Because there are so many demands on my time, much of this depends on the co-operation of fellows such as Skip Williams, Steve Marsh, and maybe even Rob Kuntz and Ernie Gygax (neither of wham are known for their rapid work, shall we say?).

* * * * * * *

Greyhawk City in The Dragon #35: In the Works!

2011-08-19T13:00:00.000-04:00

Barely a blip on the radar, but enough to get many players excited about all of the Greyhawk love being worked on.

Dragon #35, March 1980
From The Sorcerer's Scroll

What's ahead for TSR?

by Gary Gygax

* * * * * * *

All of this has pretty well conspired to keep me from doing some of the things I should be-such as this column, modules like The Temple of Elemental Evil, and some half a dozen other manuscripts piled away in various stages of incompleteness. Luckily, we do have a great Design Department at TSR. More about their efforts later.

Dave Sutherland is at work with Tim Jones to bring you the long-overdue Queen of the Demonweb Pits (soon, I trust). Rob Kuntz is helping me with a revision of The Lost Caverns of Tsojacanth, a WinterCon tournament scenario which I based in part on one of his dungeon levels). The two new game designs I was fooling around with will have to be set aside for a time, but there is a long-desired and oft-worked-on project which I am desperately trying to save. This is what goes with the World of Greyhawk campaign map and gazetteer (Feb.-Mar. release date), a huge map of the City of Greyhawk, modules based on the original Castle Greyhawk, and a series of offerings which depict the Elemental Planes of Greyhawk. Parts of some of this have been done by me.

Stalwart Steve Marsh also sent me reams of absolutely superb conceptual material for the Elemental Planes, and in a moment of weakness, I proposed a collaboration, melding his and my ideas into a whole campaign series "Approved For Use With Advanced D&D"!

Connected to the World of Greyhawk project is a set of miniature rules for large-scale battles there, and to get ready for that, I had to complete rosters for the "Armies of Greyhawk." It is all in the capable hands of Steve Carpenter of Miniature Figurines now. Steve is going to do an excellent set of rules, I know, and MiniFigs will do a special line of Armies of Greyhawk miniature figurines soon. This brings me back to D&D and our Design Department.

* * * * * * *

Greyhawk City in The Dragon #30: An Adventure

2011-08-17T13:00:00.000-04:00

Notsomuch about the city itself, this mention is actually an adventure idea. It would seem to fit more with the castle due to its world-hopping nature, but it is nice to speculate about Zagyg's influence in the city being the cause of it. Mark this one down to be another "Weird Occurrence in Odd Alley".

Dragon #30, October 1979

From The Sorcerer's Scroll

New Setting for the Adventure

by Gary Gygax

* * * * * * *

Now, on to important matters — your D&D or AD&D campaign!
It is always inspiring for me to read The Dragon, and TD26 was especially so. Leaving praise (or complaint) about an issue in general to the general readership, I’ll say that Kevin Hendryx is doing a fine job of authorship! His “Mugger” piece, while a very funny satire, is also a social commentary on our cities. It is worth reading for its humor.

“Mugger” has another use as well. The DM who has been running a campaign for an extended period must read it for pure inspiration. The DMG has a special section devoted to keeping the campaign fresh by using such games as Gamma World and Boot Hill as special scenarios to maintain challenge in the game. Special settings for the campaign can be in the Ancient period, with its sheer masses of men and unfamiliar beasts (such as camels and elephants) plus some possible differences in the working of magic (if it works at all); the early gunpowder era; Napoleonic times; WWI, WWII; or the imagined future.

“Mugger” points out that there is also a battleground out on the dark metropolitan streets. If the criminals are combined with the police, the challenge to the safety of a group of hapless adventurers thrown into such a setting would be interesting indeed — especially when the danger of speeding traffic, high-voltage wires, machinery, and the rest of modem technology we take for granted is considered.

With these thoughts in mind, I have prepared a special scenario which will put the adventurers through a short “routine” adventure in a “World of Greyhawk” city. This will lead them to a cellar and a tunnel which in turn brings them to a sewer and up to a subway tunnel. The power which brings the party to this place will probably cause a blackout in the city, so for a time the players will be uncertain where they are. If it all works as well as I think it will, the report of the game will be submitted for publication in a future issue.

In the city setting, magic will work, although cleric spells above third level will not. Of course, firearms also work. The perils of the place — police, street gangs, muggers, criminals of other sorts, citizens with karate training or able to box, those with guard dogs, etc. — will be numerous and different. Weapons aren’t difficult to rate according to damage. Electricity will be interesting — low-tension AC giving but 1d6 damage (4d6 if the party is well grounded), low-tension DC doing 1d6 each segment until the victim is freed, and high-tension DC doing 1d20 in the same manner. Cars will inflict 1d4 damage for each 10 mph of speed. Small trucks will get a d6, large ones a d8, and trains a d10 for each 10 mph.

Each special character (guard, policeman, street tough, mugger, etc.) will be given a level roughly corresponding to those of AD&D characters, although the type of dice used will be non-standard. If the adventurers survive and manage to return to their own place in the multiverse, they will have little in the way of treasure — at least in all probability.

Gunpowder and explosives will not function on the World of Greyhawk. Lighters and flashlights must be garnered. Perhaps things such as aluminum arrows, metal bottles (canteens) and plastic containers might prove useful. There will be a jewelry store or two, and an art galley, but trying to loot them will certainly bring police and possibly a SWAT team.

What should prove the real fun of this whole scenario is discovering the perils of the modem world as DM and seeing how the players handle them in their roles as fantasy world adventurers. If you have DMed or played settings of this type, by all means tell me about the experience, so I can pass it along to the other readers!

* * * * * * *

Scales: Weighing in on Greyhawk

2011-08-15T11:00:00.000-04:00

While pondering the practicality of which scale to use in mapping Greyhawk City, I thought it would be useful to peer into some of Grendelwulf's notes. Among them was a comparison of other cities published for various Fantasy Settings. This should be a good measuring stick for us (yes, pun intended). Afterall, our goal is the same: to make a usable city system.

CITY MAP LIST

City-State from Judges Guild's City-State of the Invincible Overlord (1978)
* 4 maps (each 17" x 22"). Total size: 34" x 44". Map scale: 1" = 80'

City of Sanctuary from Chaosium's Thieves' World (1981)
* 1 map. Total size: 34" x 22". Map scale: 1" = 160'

City of Lankhmar from TSR's Lankhmar - City of Adventure (1985)
* 1 map. Total size: 34" x 22". Map scale 1" = 120'

City of Greyhawk from the novel City of Hawks (1987)
* 1 map. Total size: 4.1" x 6.8". Map scale: 1" = 3 miles

City of Middenheim from Games Workshop's Warhammer City (1987)
* 1 map. Total size: 17" x 22". Map scale: 1" = 480'
(Although there is no stated scale for the map, there is a reference to the mountain upon which it rests. The top of the mountain is a flat stump a mile across. The map shows the city walls reach from edge to edge. Measuring the map, north to south, is 11". One mile (5280') divided by 11" equals 480' per inch.)

City of Minas Tirith from MERP's Cities of Middle-earth series (1988)
* 1 map. Total size: 17" x 22". Map scale 1" = 300'

City of Waterdeep from TSR's City System (1988)
* 10 maps (each 34" x 22"). Total size: 68" x 110". Map scale 1" = 100'

City of Greyhawk from TSR's City of Greyhawk (1989)
* 1 map. Total size: 34" x 22". Map scale: 1" = roughly 140'
(Again, there is no stated scale for the map here. Fortunately, there is a reference in the supplements of the city walls being a uniform size of 18' at the base. Measuring the map finds the city walls are roughly 1/8th of an inch. 1/8th = 18' so 1"= 144'. I rounded it down to 140' for simplicity.)

City of Greyhawk from Greyhawk Grognard's blog (1989+)
* 4 maps (each 8½" x 11). Total size: 17" x 22". Map scale: 1" = 2000'
(Not published, you say? Below are his original sketches, but Joseph Bloch has since updated them with a more colorful replacement on his blog. It is available for downloading right here!)

Town of Yggsburgh from Troll Lord Games' Castle Zagyg: Yggsburgh (2005)
* 1 map. Total size: 17" x 22". Map scale: 1" = 500'

What size maps were the most popular? We have:

4.1" x 6.8": 1 whole map
8½" x 11": 4 segments
17" x 22": 4 whole maps; 4 segments
34" x 22": 3 whole maps, 10 segments
34" x 44": 1 whole map
68" x 110": 1 whole map

It looks like 34" x 22" is the big winner.

I suppose it's not too surprising really. 34" x 22", according to Gygax, was the largest size map he was allowed to use in publishing his World of Greyhawk. He drafted two such maps before handing them over to Darlene Pekul's magnificent artistry. From my own experience, this size map has been convenient in its portability and visual assistance.

Now, how do each of the published settings stand up against each other? Sure, most of them use the same map size, but their scales are different. What if we bring them closer into alignment? Since Waterdeep seems to be the biggest example of a city using 34" x 22" maps, let's use its scale for comparison. The mention of "pages" below is taking into consideration how many sheets of graph paper are necessary. Here they are from smallest to largest.

COMMON SCALE OF 1" = 100'

Lankhmar 40.8" x 26.4" (5x3=15 pages)
City-State 27.2" x 35.2" (4x4=16 pages)
Greyhawk (TSR) 47.6" x 30.8" (6x3=18 pages)
Sanctuary 54.4" x 35.2" (7x4=28 pages)
Minas Tirith 51" x 66" (6x6=36 pages)
Waterdeep 68" x 110" (8x10=80 pages)
Middenheim 81.6" x 105.6" (11x11=121 pages)
Yggsburgh 85" x 110" (10x10=100 pages)
Greyhawk (GG) 340" x 440" (40x40=1600 pages)
Greyhawk (CoH) 595" x 770" (70x70=4900 pages)

As I cannot resist, and it is an important factor, what if we took it further down to a player mapping scale of 10'/square (5sq./1" graph paper)? Again, here are the cities from smallest to largest.

COMMON SCALE OF 10'/SQUARE

Lankhmar 81.6" x 52.8" (10x5=50 pages)
City-State 54.4" x 70.4" (7x7=49 pages)
Greyhawk (TSR) 95.2" x 61.6" (12x8=96 pages)
Sanctuary 108.8" x 70.4" (13x7=91 pages)
Minas Tirith 102" x 132" (12x12=144 pages)
Waterdeep 136" x 220" (16x20=320 pages)
Middenheim 163.2" x 211.2" (20x20=400 pages)
Yggsburgh 170" x 220" (20x20=400 pages)
Greyhawk (GG) 680" x 880" (80x80=6400 pages)
Greyhawk (CoH) 1190" x 1540" (140x140=19,600 pages)

If our Greyhawk Construction Co. placed Greyhawk City at a scale of 1" = 100', we would have:

Greyhawk (GCC) 85" x 110" (10x10=100 pages)
This would be equal in size to 12½ 34" x 22" maps.
If TSR could do ten such maps for the Forgotten Realms, then it's the least we can do for Greyhawk!

To make a player mapping version of 10'/square, we'd have:

Greyhawk (GCC) 170" x 220" (20x20=400 pages)
This would be equal in size to 50 34" x 22" maps.
It is certainly a staggering size, but THIS. IS. GREYHAWK!

400 pages of graph paper is easily more manageable than the amount we would be using if we aimed at doing the entire City of Hawk's map. It is a step in the right direction, without being an improbable goal. It also satisfies my Fantasy Setting bias by putting Greyhawk above Waterdeep (Huzzah!) and the mountaintop City of Middenheim. [Update: Yggsburgh may come close in total map size, but the "Town" itself only takes up half of Greyhawk City's area]. It is right in the top three. Plus, we have a target, should we want to enlarge it later: the Greyhawk Grognard's City!

If we were to enlarge our scale to 500'/square (1" = 2500') on the original 8½"x11" sheet of 5sq./1" graph paper, each square would represent a single Gygaxian 460' square city block with pavements and partial streets (according to the Yggsburgh book). There would only be 2,500 pages to do for Greyhawk City and its environs (as shown on the City of Hawks map). Hah! Waitaminute, that's still smaller than Joseph's map. Okay, then we double it to 1000'/square, so each square includes 4 city blocks. How many pages then? What?! 10,000!!! Confounded exponential growth! Alright, Dakkar, you can work on this one if you'd like. :)

I believe the 400-page version is the most satisfactory approach. It is not as 'Rome big', as previously envisioned, but it is not so small as to allow the players to get easily bored either. Besides, we haven't even scratched the surface of all of the underground areas yet (pun intended again ~ sorry).

Let's make a new draft of the 8½"x11" map. Using Dakkar's method from his last post, we'll just take this image:

Template for the City of Hawks map.

First, copy the image to your computer.
Second, load your printer with a sheet of 5sq/1" graph paper.
Third, do the following for your print-page setup:
1. use "portrait", centering the image horizontally & vertically
2. set your left and right margins at 0.25" each
3. set your top and bottom margins at 0.5" each
4. fit the image to 1 page
5. then print out the 1 page map

The scale of this map is 1 square/200', or 1"/1000'.

Your 1-page map should look something like this.

Now, we can make a rough version of our 34" x 44" map.

First, copy the original image above.
Second, load your printer with 5 sq/1" graph paper.
Third, do the following for your print-page set up:
1. use "portrait", centering the image horizontally & vertically
2. set your left and right margins at 0.25" each
3. set your top and bottom margins at 0.5" each
4. fit the image to 4 by 4 pages
5. then print out the 4 by 4 page map

The scale of this map is 1 square/50', or 1" = 250'.

An approximate image of your 16-page map.

Everyone can now have the same 34" x 44" map we'll be using as our guide.

If this draft is agreed upon by the GCC, we should be able to move forward.

Greyhawk City in The Dragon #9: Alignment

2011-08-13T13:00:00.000-04:00

From The Dragon #1 to #122 (the issue of Gygax's fond farewell to his Sorcerer's Scroll readers), there are only ten mentions of the words "City of Greyhawk". One is from an excerpt from the novel Quag's Keep, another is from an article about weather in Greyhawk - not written by Gygax, a third is a brief description of Greyhawk's heraldry, and the last is a review for Gygax's novel, Saga of Old City. There are only two mentions of the words "Greyhawk City", one is by Gygax and the other is an advert for Saga of Old City. This leaves only eight references to Greyhawk City from Gygax himself.

For reference, I shall be posting these excerpts here. The first follows:

The Dragon #9, September 1977

VARIED PLAYER CHARACTER AND NON-PLAYER

CHARACTER ALIGNMENT IN THE DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

CAMPAIGN

by Gary Gygax©

* * * * * * *

In general, player characters will not know the alignment of the various persons they encounter, for in the normal course of affairs such knowledge is not important. Naturally, this does not apply during “adventures”. This brings me to a discussion of the typical interaction of varied alignments. The Greyhawk Campaign is built around the precept that “good” is the desired end sought by the majority of humanity and its allied races (gnomes, elves, et al.). I have this preference because the general aim is such that more than self-interest (or mental abberation) motivates the alignment. This is not to say that a war of lawful good against chaotic good is precluded, either or both opponents being allied with evil beings of lawful or chaotic alignment. What is said is that most planned actions which are written into the campaign are based on a threat to the overall good by the forces of evil.

While there are some areas where nearly all creatures encountered will be of like alignment, most places will contain a mixture of alignments, good and neutral, evil and neutral, or all of the varying alignments. A case in point for the latter mixture is the “Free City of Greyhawk”. This walled town was the area trade center and seat of feudal power, then began to decline when the overlordship transferred from a suzerain to the city itself, but is now undergoing a boom due to the activities of adventurers and the particular world system events (a new struggle between lawful good and chaotic evil, with the latter on the upswing) The oligarchs of the city are neutral in outlook, if not in alignment, viewing anything which benefits their city as desirable. Therefore, all sorts of creatures inhabit the city, commerce is free, persons of lawful alignment rub elbows with chaotics, evil and good co-exist on equitable terms. Any preeminence of alignment is carefully thwarted by the rulers of the place, for it would tend to be detrimental to the city trade. There are movements and plots aplenty, but they are merely a part of the mosaic of city intrigue, and player characters can seldom find personal advantage in them, let alone assume a commanding position in municipal affairs.

Consider the following examples: An enterprising cleric establishes a small shrine where he spends his non-adventuring time. He attracts a few devotees and followers of his professed god, and after a few weeks the religious establishment he has engendered makes a small profit from contributions and the sale of holy water, blessings, and so forth. This sort of operation is not really meaningful in the overall society of the town or city in which it operates, and the enterprising cleric has benefited by cutting his expenses to zero — if not actually showing a small profit — and has probably gained also in his ability to find new hirelings and successfully bring them into his service. Now, however, the cleric begins to rise in his level and ambition. He builds a substantial edifice — a temple or church — proclaims himself its patriarch or high priest, and seeks mass conversions in order to create a powerful following and amass wealth. This activity immediately arouses the enmity of other leading clerics in the city and attracts the attention of the government. His enemies seek to thwart his gains, and it is quite possible that assassination attempts will begin to occur. The leaders of the metropolis will look upon his activities with suspicion. Taxes will be levied. Bribes will have to be paid by the cleric in order to maintain a hope of survival in the morass of hatred and intrigue he has become immersed in. If hostilities come to open conflict, the city leaders may eject him as an undesirable influence, and at the very least bribes would skyrocket in such circumstances. Should the cleric survive the initial difficulties his ambition has engendered, he will nonetheless be considered an outsider for years, have the undying hatred of many rivals, and be forced to expend considerable sums on a regular basis in order to maintain his status. The way will be long, arduous, and fraught with peril . . .

* * * * * * *

Beginning the City Map

2011-08-11T01:00:00.000-04:00

Over at the Axe & Hammer, Grendelwulf has posted several times about mapping Greyhawk City. I will be "borrowing" from his wisdom and revisiting some of his points ~ just not all of his math (Sorry, G!).

[G's EDIT: Hey! My most recent posts on the subject are far more accurate. In my defense, the earlier ones were done very late at night ...with no lights on ...and the computer screen turned off ...with my eyes closed!]

Greyhawk City is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mindbogglingly big it is. I mean, we're talking Roman Empire big*. It isn't called the Gem of the Flanaess for nothing!

[*FACT: In 100 A.D, the population of Rome was 1,000,000 people.]

Now, "realistic" versus "fantasy" demographics can be debated ad infinitum. Is a medieval metropolis really so extreme? Fantasy settings have evolved considerably over the years. Some use a medieval model while others throw out the model altogether. Gygax's Greyhawk was no different.

What began as a no-holds-barred home-brewed D&D campaign became TSR's standard medieval model. Even Gygax's players steered him into using the "official" published material, so his original campaign became a mix of both worlds. Then along came Gord, allowing Gygax to weave his stories ~ and those ever so important details of the city ~ without restraint. Our final glimpse of it was in Gygax's final attempt at revising his legendary campaign, specifically the Castle Zagyg and Yggsburgh materials.

We're not trying to recreate Gygax's own City of Greyhawk; that would be impossible. What we are attempting to build is a "Gygaxian" one. A city so big, so vast, so full of an improbable number of possibilities that there will always be mysteries around every corner. Using elements from Gygax's writings, we hope to encourage and inspire the spirit of having fun that draws everyone into our hobby.

Sure this project may be stretching the city to a "fantastical" scale, but why not? Gygax gave us a framework for inspiration. He always wanted players to take the ball and run with it. I say, let's run. Now, if some of you prefer a more medieval model with a smaller, more realistically sized city, that's great too. You will still be able to use much of the material we'll be working on here. Feel free to take whatever helps you.

And now, onto the mapping!

For our project, we will be using sheets of graph paper with 5 squares per 1".

The City of Hawks map is 6.8" x 4.1" and uses a scale of 3 miles per 1".
This makes the city, without its surrounding environs, roughly 54 square miles in size.

From Gygax's comments in The Dragon #37, his original map was 8.5” x 11”. Let's start by making our novel map the same size. Here is an unmarked Greyhawk City map for you to use as a guide.

Copy the image and load your printer with a sheet of 5sq/1" graph paper.
Do the following for your page setup:
1. use "portrait", centering the image horizontally & vertically
2. set your left and right margins at 0.25" each
3. set your top and bottom margins at 0.5" each
4. fit the image to 1 page
5. then print out the 1 page map

As we enlarge the City of Hawks map to this size, the scale goes from 3 miles per 1" to 3 miles per 2.25" (or 1 mile per 0.75"). On our sheet of 5sq/1" graph paper, each square now equals 1408'.

Your 1-page map should look something like this.

Is this big enough to use as a guide? How big of a map do we need to work with?

To jump ahead slightly, the templates for our city blocks are being based on the format Gygax used in his Yggsburgh book. Yggsburgh's blocks are approximately 460' square. It's a convenient size, and easily adaptable for cities of any size.

We looked at using different scales of graph paper with different map sizes. The closest we came to representing a 460' square block on our map was by using 5sq/1" graph paper and enlarging our map to three-times size. By doing so, each graph square equals 469.3' on our new enlarged map. That's roughly 470' square. We could round the number down and just call it 460' square, but why argue with math? Our own city block template will be 470' square.

Our new map is now roughly 25.5" x 33", and uses a scale of 6.75" = 3 miles (2.25" = 1 mile).

To make your own, copy the original image above and load your printer with 5 sq/1" graph paper.
Do the following for your page set up:
1. use "portrait", centering the image horizontally & vertically
2. set your left and right margins at 0.25" each
3. set your top and bottom margins at 0.5" each
4. fit the image to 3 by 3 pages
5. then print out the 3 by 3 page map

An approximate image of your 9-page map

VIOLA! You now have the same 9-page map we're using as our guide.
Remember, each regular blue square represents a 470' block.

If you need more specifics, the new map has roughly 18,000 squares.
That's 18,000 blocks to be enlarged and detailed however we wish.
If you keep within the squares of the city itself, there will be less areas to do.

If you're particularly twisted and want to see every graph square = 10', you would have to increase the size of the 8.5"x11" map by a staggering 140-times. That's 19,600 sheets of graph paper which would be 1190"x1540". Or 99'x128' if you'd prefer. Have fun folding that up and taking it to a game.

Needless to say, there's plenty of space for just about anything you can think of ~ which is exactly what we are aiming for.

Like I said at the beginning, Roman Empire big*.

How to Set Up Your Greyhawk City Campaign - and Enjoy Refereeing It Seven Days Per Week Until the Wee Hours of the Morning!

2011-08-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

In the fanzine Europa #6-8, April 1975, Gygax wrote an article outlining how to set up a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. In it, he wrote,

The referee of the campaign must structure the game so as to have something to play. He must decide upon these things:

1) The overall setting of the campaign;
2) The countryside of the immediate area;
3) The location of the dungeon where most adventures will take place;
4) The layout and composition of the nearest large town; and
5) Eventually the entire world - and possibly other worlds, times, dimensions, and so forth must be structured, mapped and added.

Twenty-five years later, in Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Gygax elaborated on his own approach to his Greyhawk Campaign.

There are two methods of creating a fantasy world setting. The first, the one used to establish what was to become my campaign World of Greyhawk setting is the "pebble in the water". Using this method one drops a creative pebble. In this case that was the castle ruins and underlying dungeons. Just as a pebble spreads rings after it hits the water, so the DM develops the details of the fantastic world around the initial entry point. The second method is the "bulls eye" one. In this case the whole of the world is developed, with increasing detail as the target center, the place where adventuring will commence, is neared. The first way of doing things is quick and dirty, and that is all that was necessary when the process began - players were anxiously awaiting new challenges, literally each and every day. When so much of the globe had been traveled, player suddenly gained a new awakening. There was a wide world waiting to be seen. What lay beyond the marches of the free city they called home?

Using the aforementioned "bulls eye" method, I sketched out the whole of the world, than began to place more detailed terrain and countries in the region that surrounded Castle and City Greyhawk. So familiar had the latter name become, though, that it was the natural apellation for the entire world. My initial globe looked a good deal similar to our earth, so I named this fantastic parallel world "Oerth" to make certain that any and all players understood it was no past or future of our own planet, but a very different and magical place. All of this sufficed for scores of participants in the campaign that was then the only "Greyhawk". It remained that way until 1978.

Both articles have some good thoughts on how to approach the modelling of Greyhawk City. Personally, I think the "bulls eye" method is the best way to go. We already have a sketch from City of Hawks. Now we can work on the details.

Step 1) The overall setting of this "campaign supplement" is the city. Typically, the City of Greyhawk is seen to come from a Medieval European mold. However, it must be remembered this is a Fantasy Setting. Anything can and should be able to happen. From the above articles, Gygax has said:

Now, fantasy/swords & sorcery games need not have any fixed basis for the assumptions made by its referee (my own doesn't) except those which embrace the whole of fantasy. This sort of campaign can mix any and all of the various bases which will be mentioned below - and then some."

Even though the castle dungeon levels were deeper, the challenges greater, the rewards richer, proportionally more time was spent in “city adventuring.”

This was initially surprising, as the lure of the hidden underground mazes and the many perils of the “wilderness” had been the primary interest of players. Now, with the mazes of the city before them, and the many strange encounters possible therein, the group began to focus on the urban setting about half the time.

Step 2) The neighborhoods and quarters of the city. The map from City of Hawks has kindly established this for us. From here, we can create the places where the PCs (Player Characters) will likely frequent and find adventures. Gygax said he had about a dozen inns and taverns with developed floor plans, inhabitants, etc. There were a score or so other locations that were likewise detailed – several temples, a wizard’s tower, guilds for sages and mercenaries, a few arms & armor dealers, merchant shops, and of course moneychangers and jewelers.

Step 3) The location of entrances to the Undercity; sewers, hidden crypts, secret temples, etc. beneath the city easily become the new "dungeon" where even more adventures can take place. According to the Gord novels, there were at least several levels of "normal sewers" beneath the city. From Chris Siren's website concerning Gord's Greyhawk,

The upper [level] is primarily drainage and water supply. There are stairwell accesses as well as the traditional sewer hole/ladder accesses. There is a second level containing more chambers and wells and fewer drains. The great reservoir lies down hill, away from the Old City, on the third and lowest known level. This level also contains slow moving canals. The upper two levels are reasonably frequently trafficked containing rats, spiders and the like as well as the occasional patrol of one agency or another. Dark things lurk in seldom used cisterns on the third level however.

Step 4) The layout and composition of the surrounding area, beyond the city's walls (probably within the same 30-mile hex). Gygax spoke of the small states surrounding the city as being based on the medieval model. This is no surprise as he was well read in history, culture, and societies of the Middle Ages. We can narrow the focus to surrounding villages and thorpes. The Village of Hommlet is another great source to exploit. Abandoned castles, wild forests, and dark caves are great locations for monsters, thieves, and even worse things to be lurking.

Step 5) "Eventually the entire world," as Gygax has said. Of course, this rests entirely with enjoyment and imagination of the referee and players. Adventure can always be right outside your front door. Literally! To paraphrase the legendary Bilbo Baggins, "It's a dangerous business, going out your door. . . there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."

Steps 2 and 3 will require sitting down with a stack of graph paper and drawing some maps. Step 4 will also, but we're not concerning ourselves with nearby towns and villages right now. This will be difficult and time consuming. Each quarter has its central theme, i.e., The Citadel with the city's rulers, the Trade Areas with its merchants, the Thieves' Quarter with its outlaws.

As each area is finished, keyed notations should show what establishments and where certain personages can be found there. Mostly, a brief outline is all that is immediately needed. Where will the PCs find lodgings, buy equipment, hire mercenaries, seek magical and clerical aid, etc? How often will the PCs frequent these areas? These factors will determine how detailed these areas need to become.

A note to prospective city builders: as stated in Step 1 above, this is a Fantasy Setting. How closely Greyhawk City follows a medieval model is up to the individual referee. As much as we are attempting to create a "Gygaxian" Greyhawk City, by definition, it must be a broad milieu with the potential to include whatever any referee or group of players require of it. This city is to be a guide, a framework to build on. We're testing our creativity to add something new for our games, as well as doing it for the sheer fun of it.

There's no better motivation.

Your Back-to-Greyhawk-City Checklist

2011-08-05T05:00:00.000-04:00

G: "So, are you ready to tackle Greyhawk City?"

L: "Played there. Done that."

G: "Well, to help you get started, here is my Greyhawk Diary, a list of websites, ..."

L: "Um, thanks G, but. . . first things first. Let's clean all these notes and scribbles off the table [shove!] Why are you grabbing your chest, Grendy? Don't worry, we'll get back to some of them. Maybe."

G: "Do you know how much time I have spent gathering..."

L: "Relaaax. This is a big job, so the key word is simplicity ; simple + city [grin]. Your problem is that you let yourself get too caught up in making sooo many lists. You scribble and revise your notes over and over. And what you don't write down, you keep locked up in that noggin of yours. There'll be time for digging through your notes and your brain later when we're filling in the details. For now, it's time to start with a clean slate."

G: "I feel ill. I think I am going to have a lie down."

L: "Yeah, you do that. The blog will be just fine. Trust me!"

G: [groan]

L: "Now, where were we? Simplicity!

... and yes, we do need a list, but don't tell Gwulf or he'll try and make it a novella.

What do we really need for a simple, yet still Gygaxian [insert angelic choir here] Greyhawk City Checklist? [peeking into G's Greyhawk diary]

Gygax's own words about Greyhawk City
Did you know that Gygax only mentioned the City of Greyhawk in The Dragon magazine about eight times? That's from the early days of D&D (not counting his return to the mag in the 2000's - I haven't checked those out yet). He usually spoke of Greyhawk in regards to the entire campaign world, but a few short blurbs can be found.

The Dragon, # 9 "Alignment in the Dungeons & Dragons Campaign"
The Dragon, # 30 "New Setting for the Adventure"
The Dragon, # 35 "What's Ahead for The Strategic Review?"
The Dragon, # 37 "Greyhawk: The Shape Of the World"
The Dragon, # 55 "More 'Meat' For Greyhawk"
The Dragon, # 100 the introduction to "At Moonset Blackcat Comes"
The Dragon, # 101 "Update From the Chief"
The Dragon, # 102 "Realms of Role Playing"
Horsemen of the Apocalypse, "To Forge a Fantasy World: Greyhawk's Creation"

Gygax's Novels & Short Stories
Penned by the Grand Master himself. These serve the best for setting the right Gygaxian mood in the city. I just got my hands on a second set of the novels, so I can go through them properly with a highlighter. And I won't feel too guilty if I have to tear out a page or two for notes.

The Dragon, # 100 "At Moonset Blackcat Comes: A Tale of Gord of Greyhawk."
TSR Saga of the Old City
TSR Artifact of Evil
ACE City of Hawks
ACE Night Arrant
ACE Sea of Death
ACE Come Endless Darkness
ACE Dance of Demons
The Dragon, # 344 "The Return of Gord"
WW Evening Odds (Pawn of Chaos anthology)

Chris Siren has culled some info from the above novels on his fabulous Gord's Greyhawk website. We'll go through some of this for details later, hopefully adding some page numbers for a proper reference. Gwulf will like that; he can make another list.

The World of Greyhawk
This refers to both the original 1980 gazetteer and the 1983 boxed set. This is the Greyhawk Bible. It has plenty of general information, even if it only gives a very brief description of the city itself.

The Canting Crew
Volume I of the Gygaxian Fantasy Worlds series. Amidst Gygax's exploration of the underworld of city life, it provides some structurally sound information to help build a city.

Yggsburg
Volume I of the Castle Zagyg series. This book was meant to be the beginning of an updated version of Gygax's famous fantasy setting. The town is much smaller than his original Greyhawk City, but it is filled with enough elements to expand its size.

City of Hawks Map
Every Greyhawk City mapper should have a copy of this on hand. We'll argue (discuss) the proper scale to use for it later. For clarification, the novel pages are 4.1" x 6.8" with a given map scale of 1" = 3 miles.

. . .and for those who seriously want to play along at home, I'd also suggest getting:

3-Ring Binder(s)
How many will depend on the city scale you prefer to work with.

Graph Paper
5 squares per inch is best. More squares equals less sheets.

Sheet Protectors
The heaviest possible.

Drafting Equipment and Colored Pencils

Scratch Paper and Pencils

That's about all for now.

Personally, I don't object to using non-Gygax material. There's plenty of old articles from The Dragon that could be useful. If it came from TSR around the time of AD&D, I believe it is still true to the Greyhawk most of us are familiar with. Most of it concerns itself with the realms of Greyhawk or the Castle anyway, i.e., the WG, WGA, WGQ, WGR, & WGS modules and the Greyhawk Wars & From the Ashes boxed sets. The City of Greyhawk boxed set & Greyhawk Adventures book can be useful too --- it's a really big city afterall! But, for simplicity, we'll stick to Gygax's ingredients first.

Be sure to check back later to see how we're planning to use all this stuff."

G: "Hey, nice list. But I think you left out. . ."

L: "Who let you back in? You know why it's a nice list? It's short. It's simple. It wins!"